Bench saw rip fence



Dec# 7, l937- T. HEDGPETH BENCH SAW RIP FENCE Filed March 3l, 1957 Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y BENCH SAW RIP FENCE Theron L. 'Hedgpetln Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Duro Metal Products Company, Chicago, Ill., `a corporation'of Illinois Application VMarch 31, 1937, Serial No. 133,959

4 Claims.`

'I'he present invention relates to improvements in bench saw rip fences, and is particularly concerned with an improved arrangement for securing the bench saw rip fence in its proper adjusted position and for permitting the removal of the fence with facility. Y

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of anl improved bench saw rip4 fence which can be removed by means of a single motion of the hand, the same motion releasing the rip saw fence and lifting it from the saw table.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved rip saw fence which may bevery easily secured in place by a single motion.. the,

deposit o'f the fence upon its proper guide and release of the supporting handle serving immediately tosecure it where desired.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved securing means for such a rip saw fence which is adapted to `secure the fence very quickly in af position which is accurately parallel to the plane ofthe saw blade and in-whichvthere is no possibility ofthe securing mechanism being wedged so tightly that therefwill'be any difficulty of its release, Y `Another object is the provision of an adjustable securing mechanismby means ofwhich'any wear may be taken up and the securing mechanism made to operate in a predeterminedmannen Another object of the invention is the provisionV of anlimp'rovd rip saw fence which may be manu; factured very economically by'reason of the fact that it has a minimum vnumber offparts so thatV l the device maybe constructedrat alower cost and placed withinV the means of a larger number of purchasers-than the devices ofthe prior art; Y

' Referring to the single sheet of drawings accompanying this specification,`

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan View of a bench sawrequipped Vwith a rip saw 'fence constructed according to the present invention; y

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of 'a rip saw fence constructed according to the presentinvention; f Y i` VV Fig. 3 lis a full sized fragmentary front elevational vi'ewy A Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional viewV taken on the plane of the'line. 44-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of theV arrowsshowing the details 'of structure of thefsecuring device; .Y Fig. 5 is fragmentarybottom planview of the rip saw fence,v partially broken away to show the structure ofthe invention; i Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on the plane of the line E--G-ofliigiB.' 'f V f i Referring to Fig. 1, I0 indicates in its'entirety the bench saw table,rwhich is provided with the customary slot II, through which projects the. circular saw blade'IZ. The table top is provided with the usual slots I3, providing guides for vari- 5 ous other attachments'used on the table top, and it is preferably formed at its forward edge with ai guide slot I4 and a guide rib I5.

The'guide rib Vin this case comprises an integral upwardly extending vflange of rectangular cross- 10 section, and the slot I4 is also rectangular in section, as shown` in Fig. 4, and extends below the upper surface of the guidejribyl. The edge or face I6 of the saw tableis preferably plane and smooth Vso as to permit securing ofthe rip saw l5 fence in any adjusted position. The rip saw fence preferably comprises a guide headv l1 adapted to be slidably mounted on the guide rib I5 and supporting a fence memberV I8, which extends substantially parallel to the saw blade I2;

The fence member I8 may comprise a bar of metal of rectangular shape in section, and preferably of sufficientV thickness so that it will'span the slots I3 in the table topV without dropping into the slots. Thus the fence is adapted to slide over 25 the slots I3 without any difficulty. Y

The head I1 comprises` Va cast metal membe which is provided with a substantially fiat upper Y flange body I8, havinga raised vrib portion I9,

provided with aligned oval-bores 23, 24 for receiv- 35` ing a steel pin 25.

The lower bearing lug 22 in Fig. 5 has sufficient'body so that it may be provided with two vertically extending threaded bores 26, 21 for receiving the threaded ends of the screw bolts 28, which pass through bores in the 40 bar or fence I8 to secure the fence to the head I1. The apertures 29 in the bar I8 may be slightly enlarged over the shanks of the screw bolts 28so Y as` to permit a slight adjustment in the angular position of the bar with respect to the head I1.Y 45 Thus the bar may be placed accurately at Yright angles to the edge surface I6 of the tabletop; that is, parallel to the saw blade I2, and then clamped in position with the screw bolts.

The bearing lugs 2|, 22 are also each provided 50 with rthehorizontally extending threaded `bores 30, 3|, which communicate with the oval bores 24 and are adapted to'receive the adjustmentscrews 32, 33 which are provided with the usual slots for receivingl the screw driver. V'lhese adjustment 55 screws 32, 33 are adapted to be driven into the oval bores 23, 24 to engage the side of the pin 25 and determine its position in the oval bores 23, 24.

The pin may comprise a hardened steel member substantially cylindrical in shape and of sufficient length to extend into both of the bores 23, 24. At one end this pin 25 may be provided with a peripherally extending slot 34 of sufcient width so that the screw 32 may project into the slot to retain the pin against axial movement out of the bores 23, 24.

The head |1 has a slot 35 between the bearing lugs 2|, 22, the slot extending up to the ange body I8 and providing a space for the pivotal mounting of a handle 36. The handle 36 may comprise a sheet metal member which is formed by pressing or stamping operations and is substantially U shaped in cross-section, as seen from the end in Fig. 3. This handle may have its upper palm-engaging surface 31 suitably curved to permit pressure to be applied, and it may have the lower edges 38 of each of its side walls suitably curved at the lower side with a convenient grip by the hand.V

The yoke 39 between the side walls 40, 4| is cut away at 42 adjacent the pivot pin 25 so as to provide space for a spring'43 and to permit the end of `the spring to project outward into engagementrn a bore 44 in the body |1.

The spring 43 has a long, substantially straight arm 45 and a, substantially cylindrical helically coiled portion 46, with the outwardly projecting end 41. The coiled portion surrounds the pin 25, which it engages, and the pin is drawn backwards against the ends of the screws 33 by the spring. The end 45 engages in the bore 44 in body |1 and prevents rotation of the spring body. The arm 45 of the spring extends longitudinally of the handle between the side anges 40 and 4| and isenga'ged above an inwardly pressed ear 41', which is punched out of one of the walls 4|.

'I'he arm 45 is under initial tension so that it tends to rotate the handle 35 in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4. The other end of the handle adjacent the edge I6 of the table top is preferably relieved at 48, that is, cut away so. that only the upper, relatively sharp corner 49 of the yoke engages the face i6.

It should be noted that this is not a cam formation, and I desire to avoid using a cam, as in the devices of the prior art, for the reason that such cams tend-to become wedged into position so tightly that they are not capable of quick release, and difculty is experienced in releasingthe fence as desire-d. 1

The present engaging point 49 does not have this characteristic, and while it secures the fence tightly in any predetermined position, it may be very quickly released by merely lifting upward on the handle 36. The securement is accomplished by means of the horizontally extending ange portion 50 of the body I1, which, extends over the rib I5, and by the depending iiange portion 5|, which is substantially complementary to the groove I4, and which engages inside of the rib |5. These parts are substantially complementary to each other, and they are drawn into frictional engagement with each other by the handle 36.

The handle 36 acts like a toggle, the points of the toggle being the engagement between the surfaces at 52, the surfaces at 49, and the pivot pin 25. By means of this toggle arrangement a fairly large force is brought into action upon the head |1 to secure it in place by means of the relatively light spring 43.

Due to the small area of engagement between the point 49 of the handle and the face I6, the fence may be released by merely lifting up on the handle 3G, which rotates the handle counterclockwise and draws the point 49 out of engagement with the face I5. A continuation of this motion will bring the yoke of the handle into engagement with the stop surface 53, and the handle may then be used to lift the fence oil the table.

The fencemay be replaced by means of a reverse motion, the mere deposit of it on its proper guide and the release of the handle securing it where it is placed. If desired, the handle 36 may be lifted slightly, and the fence slid upon its guides, from left to right, or Vice versa.

The adjustment screws 32 permit the adjust- Ament of the pivot point so that the toggle action is secured, and any wear on the point 49 may be taken up at any time.

It will thus be observe-d that I have invented an improved rip saw fence, which may be secured in place on the table top by means of a single motion, and which may also be removed from the table top by a single motion.' The facility with which this rip saw fence may be removed by a single motion and a single hand is a marked distinction between it and the devices of the prior art which require the use of two hands and several operations to release it.

The present rip saw fence may be constructed very economically, asV it has a minimum number of parts, and it does'not tend to stick in place because it does notemploy an elongated cam surface and cannot wedge so tightly in place that it might cause difiiculty with its release. The action of the rip saw fence is automatic in that it is secured in place by release of the handle and it is also released when the operator merely takes hold of the handle to lift the fence.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and. I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a rip'fence for saw tables, the combination of a table having a guide groove, an upwardly extending guide flange, with a rip fence having a downwardly extending flange adapted to be slidably mounted in said'groove, said rip fence being slidably mounted on said first-mentioned ange, said rip fence having a handle pivotally mounted thereon, said handle having a pointed end engaging the edge of said table, and spring means for rotating said handle in such manner as to bring said pointed end into engagement with the edge of said table, said pointed end being of such length as to effect a toggle action between said handle at the pivot thereof and the pivot provided by the point of said end.

2. In a rip fence for saw tables, the combination of a table having a guide groove, an upwardly extending guide'lange, with a rip fence having a downwardly extending ange adapted to be slidably mounted in said groove, said rip fence being slidably mounted on said first-mentioned fiange, said rip fence having a handle pivotally mounted thereon, said handle having a pointed end engaging the edge of said table, and spring means for rotating said handle in such manner as to bring said pointed end into engagement with the edge of said table, said pointed end being of such length as to effect a toggle action between said handle at the pivot thereof and the ypivot provided by the point of said end, said handle being pivotally mounted upon an adjustable pivot pin, whereby the handle may be so adjusted as to provide toggle action between the handle and the edge of thetable, irrespective of wear.

3. In a rip fence for bench saws or the like, the combination of a table provided with a guide,

a rip fence adapted to be mounted on saidv table Y and provided with a guide head-said guide head having means for slidably engaging the guide, and a handle pivotally mounted on said head, said liandle'having a pointed end engaging the edgeof said table, and being so pivoted that the point of the handle, the pivot of the handle, and the edge of the table are just out of alignment, to eiect a toggle action between the handle and the edge of the table, and spring means carried by said handle for urging said pointed end into constant engagement with the edge of said table.

4. In a rip fence for bench saws or the like, the combination of a table provided with a guide, a

Vrip fence adapted to be mounted on said table and provided with a guide head, said guide head having means for slidably engaging the guide, and a handle pivotally mounted on said'head, said handle having a pointed end engaging the edge of said table, and being so pivoted that the point of the handle, the'pivot of the handle, and the edge of the table are just out of alignment, to effect a toggle action between the handle and the edge of the table, and spring means carried by said handle for urging said pointed end into constant engagement with the edge of said table, said handle comprising aosheet metal member of substantially U-shape, pivotally mounted on a pin carried by said head, and said spring being mounted about said pin to holdV said pinin place in enlarged bearingV apertures.

THERON L. HEDGPETH. 

